a lifestyle blog

Bye October!

I can’t believe that 1) October is OVER and 2) November has started off in 80’s. I’m a child of winter. Give me cold weather and numb noses and biting winds and fireplaces and cozy sweaters. I am sick to death of heat, and I cannot believe it persisted through (I’ll say it again, folks) my favorite month of the year! I’m still holding out hope for Winter, but it’s been screwing with my “Capsule Wardrobe” aspirations to still be wearing all of my Summer clothes.

I spent the Halloween weekend in Chattanooga with my family. It’s especially magical because my mom is super devoted to getting in the spooky spirit. Check out some of her sweet, sweet decorations in this post … and then imagine the entire house, every room, being filled with similar decor.

I have been … a little weak in my spending lately. I cancelled Sephora Play!, which may come as a surprise to … well, just Alex. Since I’m VIB and trying to rack up points for rewards, I order regularly enough to receive cool deluxe samples as often as I want. The Play! box wasn’t as fun for me, personally, as its equally cheap competitor Ipsy. However, plenty of people dislike Ipsy (though I’ve only had fun & positive experiences and quick responses from customer service), so your mileage may vary! In Play’s absence, I’ve picked up the BeautyFix box from Dermstore because I love skincare, and BeautyFix focuses on skincare with haircare and makeup mixed in. I just got the October box and it’s wonderful. Post to follow. I also signed up for the PopSugar Must Have sub, which is a $40/month lifestyle blog.

Though I’m on a clothing no-buy … or I’m supposed to be … I caved and purchased two pairs of leggings from Yogasmoga, an ethical, USA-made activewear brand. I never buy nice activewear, but they are currently having a 50% off full-priced styles sales and I’ve been wanting to try the brand for awhile. I’m weak, okay?

++ Current Wishlist ++

It is time to retire the blush & gray Saucony sneakers I picked up from Madewell last year. I am set on booties for the rest of the year, but I am terribly tempted by these babies. I’m torn between what I want & what I need, what will last a long time & what will be on-trend for the season.

+ Allbirds Wool Runners, $95 | I’m a sucker for the trendy-yet-ethical shops that keep popping up over social media. These merino wool sneakers from New Zealand fit the bill of fashionable & functional and honestly I just want to feel them. How cool was this rose quartz pair?

+ Adidas AlphaBOUNCE, unreleased | Everyone knows I love subscription boxes, and my mouth has been watering over the Adidas box since it’s release this Spring. The Winter box is a collaboration between Rita Ora & Adidas and will include these beauties. It’s $150 so it’s a little pricey, but they’re already promising that another pair of shoes will be included, too, along with the usual activewear pieces.

+ Old Navy Jersey-Knit Shift Dress in Charcoal, $29.94 | I realized lately that I’ve become a denim brat & only consider buying from Madewell & J. Crew for jeans, since I know they work for me. However, I’m in need of a dark wash pair with no distressing & don’t feel like dropping $100+ on a single pair, so I hit up Old Navy just to see what it was like…. and it was awful. I tried four pairs and though they fit, the stitching was so crooked and wobbly that I couldn’t stop noticing it. They even made my butt look bad, and that’s the one body part I feel confident about!!! So, that was a failed experiment, but I did find this shift dress. It isn’t necessarily flattering, but it’s got a cool girl vibe while also being a throw-on-and-go piece.

+ Uniqlo Ultra Stretch High Rise Ankle Jeans, $29.90 | Since I’m still on my dark-wash-no-distressing denim search, I’m considering these. They have great reviews (everyone seems to be a Uniqlo fan) but I’m just so scared of thrifty denim.

I am trying out using affiliate links, which means that I may earn a tiny commission if you click on a link or make a purchase through a link posted here - thanks Mom! As usual, I will never, ever praise a product I don't actually believe in.